Donna Karan is a New York-based fashion house specializing in fashion goods for men and women (ready-to-wear for men, women and children, accessories) founded in 1984 by Donna Karan.

History

After 15 years at Anne Klein, ten of which as head designer, in 1984 Karan and her late husband Stephan Weiss were offered the opportunity to start their own business by Takihyo LLC, owner of Anne Klein. The company became a publicly traded venture in 1996, and in 2001 it was purchased by French corporation Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy.

Donna Karan New York

Donna Karan's mainline label Donna Karan New York, also referred as Donna Karan Collection, debuted for fall 1985 with the women's collection Seven Easy Pieces, "where a handful of interchangeable items work together to create an entire wardrobe that goes from day to evening, week day to weekend, season to season". In July 1991 she launched her first menswear collection.
The "New York" part on the label is there to set "the pace, the attitude" of the fashion house's offering.

DKNY and Other Divisions

Inspired by her daughter Gaby, Donna Karan founded DKNY in 1989 as a younger, more affordable fast fashion diffusion line to run alongside her existing Donna Karan New York label. Many labels and brands have branched off of the original DKNY brand/label including DKNY Jeans, DKNY Active, DKNY Underwear, DKNY Juniors, DKNY Kids, DKNY Pure. DKNY Men, launched in 1992, consists of tailored suits, dress wear, formalwear, casual wear, sportswear, and shoes. The Donna Karan Beauty collection, which specializes in fragrances, was launched in 1992. In 2001, the Donna Karan Home collection, which includes traditional luxury bedding and accessories, and DKNY Home, which has more contemporary and fashion-forward bedding, were introduced.